Who Pays?

Have you ever gone on a date with someone you just met or a long time partner? If yes - there is always that undeniable question of Who is going to pay for dinner? Well, I have some advise on how you will never have to ask or wonder this question again. My advise of course comes from personal experience. My advise can be taken from the stories I am about to write about.

It happened last winter when MotoRider and I went to Subway for dinner. Normally we take turns on who will pay and a quick conversation at the cash register determines this. But this time was different. MotoRider knew what he wanted so he placed his order and I was quick to follow with mine. Just as I am about to finish telling the sandwich maker what I want on my sub. MotoRider turns and says... "I have to run to the bathroom. I will be right back." At first I don't care, but than I realize what he has just done. He left right when the decision was suppose to be made on who will pay... So, his absence has confirmed that I will be paying for this meal. When he returns... I ask about his quick disappearance and confirms my suspicions are true. That was his way of letting me pay for dinner.

The reason I am telling you this now is that he did a similar scenario to me just the other night. We were at Jimmy Johns (MotoRider's favorite sub place.) and he ordered first because it was my first time at JJ's. Once I placed my order I look to find MotoRider filling his beverage far enough from the register that we can't make this quick paying decision. (Plus there about 3 people behind me.) So, I had over my credit card.

Now you can try these tricks the next time you don't want to pay for dinner or want to avoid that awkward feeling. I do want to make one side note. MotoRider does pay for me on a regular basis and he did the other night when we went to see a movie. I just thought these were some creative ways to avoid this awkward moment.

A Weekend in Mora

MotoRider is home!! Friday I drove to Mora to see MotoRider. We spent the weekend with his family. His niece Hailey is so much fun. I thought I would post a few pictures from our weekend. We also celebrated MotoRiders sister Mandi's (Hailey's mom) birthday. It was a weekend of celebrating.

Here is a picture of MotoRider and Hailey. It is nice to see that Hailey finally likes MotoRider. It has only taken about a year for her to not cry when MotoRider held her.

Here is a picture of MotoRider and Hailey doing some reading. I think Hailey is reading to MotoRider.

Hailey also is very polite because everytime someone sneezes she says "bless you!" Let's just say that everyone had to sneeze.

Lap Dog

Last night sure was an eventful evening for our household. MotoRider has returned to MN from his hunting trip to Colorado. Even though he is in MN doesn't mean he is actually home. I guess there is a lot of work to be done after the big trip. So, the CrazyPuppy and FriendlyKitty are still lost without MotoRider. I won't go into details, but both animals did not feel very well last night when I got home. I have a feeling they thought I left them because I wasn't home at my normal time. They are feeling a lot better today and were enjoying my company last night when I got home.

CrazyPuppy has been a lot more protective over me and has been craving some extra attention. I have a feeling that CrazyPuppy thinks that he is a lap dog now. Everytime I sit in the recliner, CrazyPuppy thinks he can sit with me. It is kind of funny to see a 70 pound dog trying sit on my lap. I wish I had a picture to give you a visual. It is kind of hard to take a picture of yourself when no one is home. I am pretty sure FriendlyKitty wouldn't be able to take the picture.

Pumpkin Patch

Yes... it is that time of the year... When all the leaves fall from the trees and we break our backs trying to rake them up before it snows. We all know what it is like to have to go back in the spring and clean up all the leaves you left. This year we haven't had to rake much because it has been so windy that our neighbors get all our leaves. (I think they pay someone to do their yard work, so I don't feel too bad. - Favorite Neighbor I am not talking about you :) because we are your free lawn service. LOL ). I guess I am not really painting a pretty picture of fall for you. You may have guessed that fall is NOT my favorite season. You see my favorite season is spring. During the Fall you don't have anything to look forward too...(unless you like the cold and snow) when the temperate falls to 60 we pull out our winter jackets and gloves. In the spring 60 is a heat wave. Everyone is outside in T-shirts and shorts and of course doing the yard work they left from last fall. One last thing... Fall turns into winter which is fun for about a month and than I am ready for Spring. You see Sping turns into summer and that means warm days and my favorite... thunderstorms.

Okay - enough about my feelings about Fall. A few weeks ago I enjoyed a nice Sunday with my best friend and her in-laws at a pumpkin patch. We enjoyed seeing different farm animals that included the softest rabbit I have ever touched. Not only did we see pumpkins we also went on a hayride through the pumpkin patch. Here is a picture of my best friend (Kristin), her nephew (Marcus), and me.

Friday the 13th

I know that today is not Friday the 13th, but I really need to tell you about what happened right before Friday. MotoRider left last Tuesday for Colorado to go Elk hunting. That leaves CrazyPuppy, FriendlyKitty, and I to hold down the fort. So, Thursday morning I wake up as usual and go into the bathroom. My normal routine does not involve turning on any lights on until I am in the bathroom. After my shower I realized that the touch lamp on MotoRider's nightstand is on. I think... I don't remember turning that on, Cody would have barked if someone was in the room, Thomas was in the bathroom with me.. Um... I don't think anyone was here. I really don't think too much about it until I am getting ready for bed that night. I do my nightly routine and notice that stupid light turned on again. Now, I am thinking... What the heck!! I listen intensly to see if I hear anyone in the house... Nope... No one is here. So, I crawl into bed and go to sleep.

In the morning... I try an experiment. I turned the fan on the dresser (which is not connected to the same outlet, or even near the lamp.) and guess what? The stupid light turns on... Weird. I don't have a huge knowledge of electricity, but all I know is I can turn the light on with the fan.

Book Club or Bust?!?

Some of you may know... I am in a book club. If you are not familiar with this type of club, let me explain. A book club is where a small group of women get together and discuss books. Okay - we also discuss men, children, and anything else that creeps into our conversation. Before I discuss last nights discussion... Wait... What happen's at book club stays at book club... and you thought I would spill our topics of discussion. I think not!!

Okay - the point of my blog today is give a little history on why I would join a book club. It all started 2 years ago in Biwabik, MN. Renee and I were enjoying our yearly women's ski trip to Giant's Ridge. Our church plans this every year and as an ice-breaker we were asked to tell everyone what book we were reading. My book was "Lemony Snicket's - Unfortanate Events", and Renee's book was ".... and the picky eater" (a children's book). (Renee has her own home daycare.) Of course all the other women in the room commented on what book their "book club" was reading. This of course sparked Renee and I's interest. After some small conversation on the way home Renee and I decided to start a book club when we got home.

So, that is how the "Why Not? book club" was born. Today we have 7 active members and 3 retired members. I have to admit. I love being in a book club.

We're Not Going To "Conia" Tonight!

Our annual bonfire was a success this past weekend. We enjoyed some "home cooked" brats, (okay - they were pre-cooked and in a package) chips, pickles, and some adult beverages. The weather was perfect with the exception of the wind. We weren't able to use our "Tiki" torches. I guess there is always next year. It was so nice to have people over and just enjoy the last nice weekend of the year. (I really am not looking forward to the snowy forecast for the rest of this week.) Our guests enjoyed some campfire, bean bags, and some pit bike racing. MotoRider showed off his pit-bike track in the yard. The good thing is that I didn't have to take him to "conia" - Waconia for short. (Waconia - is a town 10 minutes away where the Emergency Room is located.)

To give you a little background on why I would say "We're not going to "Conia" tonight!" Last April - 20 minutes before our party (actually - it was my birthday party) was going to start, MotoRider decided to show of his wheelie skills in the yard. During his last wheelie attempt MotoRider puts the foot peg right into his calf. After some quick assessments, we decided the ER was where we needed to go. Being the nice girlfriend, I brought him inside and said "Call me when your done, and I will come get you!" Than I returned to the party without MotoRider. About 1 hour and 12 stitches later I went and picked up MotoRider. We returned to the party and enjoyed the rest of the evening recalling the earlier event. (According to MotoRider - all the nurses kept coming up to him and asking if he was the one with the knarley leg wound.)

So I am happy to say that this years party was a lot cheaper, but not as entertaining.

Should it look like a swamp?

What should I make for dinner? This is my daily question to myself on my drive home. In the 45 minutes it takes for me to get home... my ideas consist of boxed pasta, chicken nuggets, and french toast. I ask MotoRider what he wants and his answer is always the same "I don't know". This leaves me with staring blankly in the cupboards for what boxed meal I should make tonight. I finally decided that chicken nuggets just won't cut it anymore, so I call Kristin in complete despair. She always seems to be making something exotic for dinner. (In my eyes, Stir Fry is exotic.)

Last night I called her on my way home for help. I told her it needs to be easy and with ingredients that I have heard of. Her suggestion is Chicken Parmesan. So, now it is time for me to go shopping. Thank goodness for cell phones or I would have been searching all night for tonights meal. She takes me through the store ingredient by ingredient until I have everything. I did need some help with side dishes too. "and...you will need something green she tells me." I guess I didn't realize dinner had to come in a variety of colors. How about corn? I reply... I know it is not green, but it is a vegetable. The one ingredient I was a little nervous about was the fresh parsley. (How do you cut this up? This is a big deal... I better call MotoRider to make sure he will be home in time for dinner. It is not every day that I cut up fresh parsley for dinner.) To be honest I was almost tempted to just use the parsley from the spice rack.

Now it is time for me to make this exotic meal. With Kristin on the phone coaching me through the preparation and I am feeling confident and excited to be making something that doesn't have the directions listed on the box. I have most the ingredients mixed together and it is now time to melt the butter. I put it in the microwave and frequently check on the melting process. As I am stirring the mixture I question the look of what I am making. I ask Kristin if it is suppose to look like a swamp, she ignores the question and just assumes I am doing everything right. So, the next step is to coat the chicken in the butter... the swamp mixture doesn't look like it can be coated and that is when Kristin's light bulb comes on... I have made a huge error in the recipe. I guess I missed the statement... "in a separate bowl... melt the butter." Good thing I have enough ingredients to try this again. This time Kristin questions my every move. I think I need a cook book with step by step pictures... This should confirm if I am doing it correctly.

In the end MotoRider and I enjoyed a wonderful meal that was not made from a box. Next week... I am making a Roast.

My Favorite Neighbor Under One

I haven't written for over a week. What is wrong with me? It is not like I am busy and don't have time. I guess we could call it writers block. Life has been pretty quiet in our small town. So I thought you would enjoy a cute picture of our favorite neighbor.

I will title the picture as this: What adults do to capture the moment in a picture?

This is Neighbor Hailey in Nate's lunch cooler. How come kids love playing with everything but their toys?

Missing Kitty

First, I would like to thank ArmyMan for letting FriendlyKitty experience the great outdoors. Okay, maybe thanking him is not exactly what I mean. Last night I got home and was greeted by CrazyPuppy and MotoRider. I went about my normal routine of going through the mail, doing the dishes, and just picking up. Than I realized that FriendlyKitty had not yet greeted my homecoming. I found this odd for the fact that FriendlyKitty does not like to isolate himself from us. Anyway, I started searching the house and calling for him. Nothing, no meows or running from downstairs to come and see me. So, I thought... what if he got outside? I asked MotoRider if he had seen FriendlyKitty and if he might have gotten outside. MotoRider thought... wait... I accidently left the door to the garage open. Now I am convinced my little kitty is outside all alone. My first thought is how am I going to find him. I go downstairs and start getting my shoes on when I look out the front door and their is FriendlyKitty walking up the sidewalk. He didn't seem scared. He looked at me like "Hi, I am home!"

You thought my story was over, but no.... There is a part II. Today I get home from work and go and get CrazyPuppy out of the kennel. When I get back in the garage I hear FriendlyKitty meowing... Not the "Hi, pay attention to me.. meow". It is the I am stuck and I want out meow. I run inside and start looking around... Nothing!!! So, I go outside and I still hear him. I walk around to the back of the house and their is FriendlyKitty scared to death hiding in the Hostas. Um... I was the last to leave the house... How did he get out? That I will never know.

To summarize... Don't let your Uncle treat your animals like their rule the house. This can only cause you stress and fear in the future. I guess when I told ArmyMan that FriendlyKitty is an indoor cat he must not have understood me. They must have a different definition for Indoor Cat in Florida.

A Few Snapshots

I thought I would put a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Here is a picture of MotoRider and CrazyPuppy. This was taken this spring.

CrazyPuppy is a lot bigger now. He loves playing catch in the yard, but is a little nervous when MotoRider brings out the pit bike in the backyard. Did I mention that we have mock pit bike track in the back yard. MotoRider has created a nice track that encompasses the backyard. A few weeks ago one of neighbors came over and told us that they enjoyed watching Motorider race around the yard. They have even voted on where he will most likely crash. We surely don't need another trip to Waconia. I would like to add that I am working on my own pit bike skills. I am trying to master a wheely, and I have yet to complish this task. I am fairly confident that Motorider will one day teach me this ultimate trick.

The ArmyMan is Gone but Not Forgotten

I thought all of you would like to hear about how life was at our house during ArmyMan's Visit. This is the second year that ArmyMan (my uncle) has come to live with us during the summer months. ArmyMan normally resides in Florida, but escapes to MN in the summer to escape Florida's heat. I will just comment on a few wonderful aspects that ArmyMan brings to our household.

1. ArmyMan idolizes FriendlyKitty. I have included a picture of FriendlyKitty to give you a visual. ArmyMan thinks that FriendlyKitty should have full reign in the house. All the training that Motorider and I have done is now down the drain. FriendlyKitty now thinks he can freely roam the counters in the kitchen, go outside on the deck (previously an indoor cat, he now meows to go outside), and sleeps with us at night. When ArmyMan was here, I would scold FriendlyKitty and ArmyMan would run over and pick up FriendlyKitty and say "It's Okay!" So, now we are starting from scratch on training Thomas.

2. The Honda - ArmyMan has taken ownership of my Grandmothers car. It is 1997 Honda Civic. You would think this car was a Ferrari on the way ArmyMan treats it. He has stated that he is unable to help my relatives if he can't keep his car in their garage. (So, they need to keep one of their own cars in the driveway, so the civic can stay in the garage away from the weather.) ArmyMan has also found the sweet spot for gas mileage in this car. ArmyMan could be found driving on Interstate 94 where the speed limit is 70 mph but only traveling at a pace of 55 mph because that is the speed he gets the best gas mileage. (The time I save by driving the speed limit is worth more than the money I would save in gas mileage.) Now, that ArmyMan is driving back to Florida (in his 1969 Impala convertible - I wonder what kind of gas mileage that gets?????) his precious Civic is sitting in our garage.

3. Last but not least. ArmyMan offered to paint the entire basement. The only problem... Motorider and I did not have much say on the color. What??? Who's house is this? That is what I thought. In the end the basement was painted in a color not completely agreed upon.

On a side note... ArmyMan is a unique character. I have learned to accept ArmyMan for who he is and all his strange actions and behaviors. It doesn't bother me that he has re-arranged our garage 4 times (um, I wonder where he put that?), only uses plastic silverware, plates, and cups,(Fewer dishes for me to wash) or sits at the kitchen table clipping newspaper articles for everyone he knows. I do have to apologize that I don't have a picture of ArmyMan. I do hope that you are still able to visualize him through these stories.

"Hi Weirdo"

Wow, I can't believe that summer is coming to an end. This weekend MotoRider and I went to Mora for a weekend of family events. MotoRider's grandparents celebrated 60 years of marriage.

Some of you may know that MotoRider has a niece that is 19 months old. She is able to copy any word that you tell her to say. This being said, she can be persuaded to say just about anything. Her saying for the weekend was "Hi Weirdo!". Of course this only was said when coached by your grandpa (Motoriders dad) with one exception. All the guys were golfing (including grandpa) and it was just Hailey (Motorider's Niece), Mandi, Mel (Motorider's sisters) and myself. So, we were sitting around the kitchen table and Hailey looks right at me and says "Hi, Weirdo!" The three of us look around and amazed that she said this without coaching. After a few more minutes Hailey decides that this is funny and tells me over and over that I am a weirdo.

When everyone comes home, Motoriders is thrilled that he is not the only one that Hailey calls Weirdo. I am told that children only say the truth because they have not learned to lie. So, I guess the truth is out and I am officially a WEIRDO.

I have included a picture of Hailey and myself so you have a visual of the entire situation.

Testing my Computer Skills

Okay - I am going to try to post my first picture....

It worked and it wasn't that hard. Sometimes I just amaze myself.

This picture was taken on top of a volcano in Hawaii. MotoRider and I spent 10 glorious days on the Island this Spring.

You Punched Me...

Thinking back to the last 24 hours many things come to mind, but one I can still feel. It was a nice quiet night in Mayer, MN. I was sleeping peacefully under the covers, when out of the blue MotoRider punches me in the arm. Nearly in tears I question MotoRider of his actions. No response comes from MotoRider. So, I simply go back to sleep. In the morning, I of course need to let MotoRider know about last nights events. MotoRider has no memory of this event. (I am hoping for a bruise to have proof of this event.) MotoRider apologizes for his action, kisses it all better and leaves for work. (MotoRiders acknowlegdgement and fixing of last nights incident will be fully noted and stored in my memory.)

One Post at a Time

The blogging world is new to me. I am excited to see where this blog will lead me. It will probably just add drama to my life. Oh well, life isn't worth living if you can't bring crazy situations to life. I guess I am just used to having drama follow me. What? Maybe I do bring some of it on myself. Okay - the purpose of my blog is to add entertainment value to all of your lives. Since, I live in a world of Drama, I might as well document the situations.

I hope to become more computer savy and add pictures to document my drama.

Stay tuned for my first actual drama post...

Actually - I need to fill in some characters that you will mostly likely read about in this blog. As characters are added I will make sure to note their actual identity.

DramaQueen - Me
MotoRider - Nate
CrazyPuppy - Cody
FriendlyKitty - Thomas
FavoriteNeighbor - Diane
NoisyNeighbor - Brandon
BabyNeighbor - Hailey
ArmyMan - Uncle Jim